Looking fixedly at Ronald Valchester, the outlaw beheld the man whom Jaquelina's fancy had painted to her heart before she ever beheld him--the one man, "_sans peur et sans reproche_," whose admiration would be welcome to her. "I will leave it to you," he repeated. "Has Miss Meredith used me fairly?" "I decidedly decline to express an opinion on the subject," replied Ronald Valchester, gravely and coldly. There was a moment's silence. "Very well," said the outlaw, with a quiet bow; then he looked again at the fair young face that had caused his downfall. "Miss Meredith," he said, "you have repaid my kindness to you last night with the basest ingratitude. It was love for your beautiful face that led me here to-night. I have lurked in the shadows for hours watching your happiness, and unselfishly rejoicing in your unclouded joy. But your cruelty has awakened the sleeping tiger in my heart. Henceforth beware the name of Gerald Huntington! I swear to you that sooner or later I will take a terrible revenge for this injury!" "Do not be frightened at the villain's threat, Miss Meredith," said a gentleman, kindly, as they led the captive away. "He will not have the chance to harm you. They will be sure to send him to the penitentiary for life." Jaquelina looked startled. "Will the punishment, indeed, be so severe?" she cried. "I did not know that! I only thought----" "Do not begin to repent of your brave deed, Miss Meredith," cried Walter Earle, gayly, at her side. "Of course he will go into imprisonment for life, or for a very long term of years, certainly--and deserves it, too, the handsome rascal!" "Then you do not think I acted wrong?" said Jaquelina, almost piteously. "Wrong! no, indeed!" said Walter Earle. "I think you are a perfect little heroine." "So do I," "And I," "And I," cried a score of voices; but Ronald Valchester, whose opinion she longed to hear, was gravely silent. No one could induce the gifted student to utter his opinion on that one subject--whether or not Jaquelina had treated Gerald Huntington unfairly. When asked about it afterward, as he often was, he distinctly and invariably declined to discuss it. Walter Earle, his dear friend, could not chaff him into betraying himself. Violet, though she coaxed and teased bewitchingly, could not charm his thoughts from him. He kept his opinion to himself. The delightful party broke up in a whirl of excitement. More than half the young men went away with the squad that guarded the prisoner, anxious to see him placed in safe custody. Others hurried home to carry their friends the welcome news of the dreaded horse-thief's capture. Walter Earle drove Jaquelina home in his mother's pretty little basket phaeton. Mr. Meredith was awake, and in answer to his question his niece told him it had been a pleasant party, but she did not tell him what he would have been delighted to hear, namely, that the outlaw chief had been captured.